Acts of Kindness
by MinnieBSB
Summary: " Give them some evidence that proves you can be kind". AU and Barson!
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Hello there! Lately, I've been really into writing.I know that I am not the best when it comes to grammar, but it's so nice to be able to distract yourself and create a world of your own with words alone. I've started a lot of EO stories lately, but I finally got an awesome idea for a Barson one! Please don't read this and think that Rafael is a complete jerk or that I think that of him. It's only for the sake of the story, so please trust me! I have a feeling that this story will be adored, or hated. So if you like what you see or if you would like to see more, let me know! I hope you enjoy it! Love y'all!**

 **Oh, and Angelica is his live-in, hired help!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Law and Order SVU or the characters.**

Nervous was not a word that could be used to describe Rafael Barba. Calculated, cunning, and convincing maybe, but never nervous. Even though he knew that he was about to be in trouble for something, he entered the DA's office with a confident air about him. To some, it was unnerving, but to others it was reassuring. Regardless, he didn't care. So what if he was sure of himself?

"Rafael, sit down" His boss said in a tone that the ADA hadn't heard aimed at himself before. As much as he liked to stand, the younger man wisely chose his battles and sat as he was instructed.

"Do you want to explain why I had a video of you screaming at a random man sent to me?"

Rafael pretended to think it over for a moment before answering.

"My guess would be that some low life that has way too much time on their hands since they probably don't work recorded it".

Jack sighed, wishing that Rafael wouldn't have answered the way he had expected.

"This is a very serious matter. This incident makes four of the kind within the last six months. You are ruining your reputation as an ADA. The people don't want the guy that screams at the general public to be the guy that defends their safety in court".

"What exactly are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying that if you don't do some damage control, you will be out of a job".

"Sir, you don't know my side of the story. All of those people deserved it. They-"

"You should know better than anyone else that the public does not care about he said, she said. They care about evidence. Give them some evidence that proves you can be kind. It won't kill you. Now, get out. I have a meeting to get to".

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"I just don't get what he wants from me. He said that I have to give them evidence that I'm kind. What does that even mean? More" He demanded as he held out his glass.

"I _am_ a kind person. It's not my fault those people are idiots. I'm a good boss, right?"

Angelica held her breath for a moment, willing her filter to work. She needed her job after all.

"Absolutely, sir" She agreed as she poured him more wine.

"I say please and thank you just like my mother taught me to. I give to charity every year, and not just for tax purposes. I _am_ kind".

It took all of her control to keep her eyes from rolling.

"I don't know what else to do. Do you have any suggestions? Oh, who am I kidding? There's nothing I can think of, so I doubt you can".

Angelica could feel her hands beginning to shake, just itching to ring his neck. She quickly regained her composure, having trained herself to ignore his ignorant remarks long ago.

"Actually sir, there are numerous things that you could do. You could start small by randomly paying for someone's groceries, or leave a generous tip the next time you eat out. Maybe you can contact a local orphanage and buy the children some presents. Your options are limitless".

"You're right" He admitted. That alone was an act of charity coming from him. "I'll start small, starting with you. Instead of cleaning my office every night, you can clean it every other night. That way you have some extra time for your other duties and whatever it is that you do in your free time".

Angelica closed her eyes for a brief moment and took a deep breath. The man was truly an idiot.

"That's a good start, sir. Thank you".

"It feels good to be kind" He said as he held out his glass once more. As far as he was concerned, there was nothing to worry about and he would have a perfect reputation in no time.

A week came and passed, and Rafael hadn't done a single thing differently. Instead of leaving a generous tip the last time he ate out, he didn't leave one at all because the service wasn't up to his standards. He told his secretary to call around and find the most ethnically diverse orphanage that she could find, but he was still waiting on that. By the fourth day, Angelica had gone back to cleaning his home office every night because seeing trash in the can from the previous day was simply unacceptable. However, he hadn't done any more damage so that was a positive.

On his way out for the day, Sheila, his secretary, handed him a stack of mail that he would go through at home. It's not like he had anything else to do anyway. Despite the cold of early winter, Rafael had chosen to walk to work, so now he was walking back home as the sun set. He read the return addresses on some of the letters, not paying attention to where he walked. Suddenly, everything was knocked out of his hands as the weight of another person hit him.

"Hey watch-" He began to yell, quickly stopping himself. The streets were busy and the last thing he wanted was for another video of him yelling to get to Jack. He heard a low groan, bringing his attention to the disheveled woman that he had collided with. Her clothing was old and torn, and her hair was up in a messy pony tail. By the looks of it, she hadn't showered in a couple of days. Her face scrunched up in pain as she clutched her right arm.

"Ma'am, are you okay?" He asked. When she didn't answer, he reached out a placed a gentle hand on her right arm. She seethed in pain and he pulled back, but the next thing he knew, she was falling. He managed to catch her only seconds before she hit the hard sidewalk, lowering them so that she could rest against him as he phoned 911. A small crowd gathered around them as he waited for an ambulance to come and take the unconscious woman from his arms. He had planned on telling them to scram and give her space, but many of them had their phones out, capturing his heroic act. The opportunity had been handed to him on a silver platter, so why not take it? He held the poor woman and told her over and over again that everything would be okay. Maybe he had gone a little far when he added "hang in there" and "don't die on me".

The medics took over a few minutes later, and he told them exactly what happened. They loaded her into the ambulance, but didn't shut the door immediately.

"Sir, did you want to ride with her?"

Rafael was ready to explain that he didn't know this woman and had absolutely no interest in going to the hospital tonight, but then he remembered the group of people recording behind him. He could already see how fast that part would spread… So he went, planning to go for an hour or so and then call Angelica and have her pick him up. Like Jack said, it wouldn't kill him.

 **AN: Interested?**


	2. Chapter 2

As much as Rafael wanted to, he couldn't leave the hospital. Angelica wasn't answering her phone, which he would be sure to address later, and catching a cab at dinner time on a Friday night was a task he simply did not want to do. Sure, he could call for a car, but something was telling him to stay a little longer. Maybe it was the fact that he had been waiting for over two hours and no one had offered any information on the mystery woman's condition. Technically, they shouldn't tell him anything, but he had made sure to identify himself as an ADA as soon he boarded the ambulance. That combined with the fact that he was the one that called 911 had to get him something, right? Even though he wanted to walk away and get on with his evening, he simply couldn't. That didn't stop him from tapping his foot impatiently or from huffing every time a nurse came out and talked to someone else. Waiting a few extra minutes didn't make it so all of his other responsibilities for the night disappeared.

A young nurse came up to him several minutes later, asking him if he would like to come and meet the woman that he had helped. Again, he wanted to say no and go home, but he couldn't. Apparently, the woman wanted the chance to thank him for helping her. No one could refuse that, even if they did have three trials to prepare for. He silently followed the petite nurse down the hall until they stood outside the woman's room.

"She was given some medication for her pain, so she might be a little drowsy" The nurse explained before walking away to attend to another patient.

Rafael walked into the room with his usual confidence, acting like that was exactly where he belonged. He came to halt, taking in the woman in the hospital bed. She had been cleaned up, and her hair had been fixed into a neat bun. He was tempted to double check with the nurse and make sure that this was actually the same woman that he held on the sidewalk. She hadn't been bad looking before, but without the layer of dirt and grime…Let's just say that he didn't mind looking at her.

"Hi" She greeted, bringing him out of his thoughts."You must be the man that called for help. Thank you so much".

"Hi. I'm Rafael Barba" He introduced. "Are you okay?" He asked, genuinely concerned for a moment there. "If you don't mind my asking, what happened earlier?"

"It's an old injury that I never sought medical help for. I guess that I messed it up more when I bumped into you".

Rafael nodded, unsure of what to say. Thankfully, a doctor came in, saving him from having to say anything.

"Well , your x-rays showed that there are four breaks in your right arm. Three of them are partially healed, but they aren't healing properly. The only way to fix it is a surgery where we will basically reset your arm" The doctor explained, completely ignoring the fact that the ADA was still present.

Rafael intently watched this , trying to figure out her reaction to this news. It had been obvious that she was homeless when he bumped into her, but this doctor had no clue. She wouldn't be able to afford what they had done for her so far unless…

"Excuse me doctor, can I have a moment alone with ?"

The doctor nodded, leaving the two of them alone once again.

"Look, you've done enough for me today. Thank you. Why don't you go home?"

"I will, but not until we talk about something. You need that surgery if you ever want to use that arm properly again. I know for a fact that you can't afford to pay for it even if you do have insurance, but judging by the look on your face, I'd say you don't have any. I want to pay for your surgery".

Her eyes went wide. "What? You don't even know me. Why the hell do you want to pay for it?"

"Well that wasn't the reaction I expected at all. Thank you would have sufficed".

She gave him a confused look. "I apologize, but you don't have someone offer to pay for your surgery every day. You could afford to just randomly pay for another person's medical treatments?"

"Yes" He insisted. "I'm an attorney" He offered as if that explained anything. "Just do the surgery and leave the rest to me". After years and years of selling cases to juries, Rafael had the ability to _feel_ when he won. The feeling hit him a moment later. He grabbed a pen and a scrap of paper out of his brief case, scribbling some information down. He set the paper down on the table next to her bed before leaving her alone once again.

The doctor returned a few minutes later, asking her if she wanted to proceed with the surgery.

"Yes. We'll do the surgery".


	3. Chapter 3

"You wanted to see me sir?" Rafael asked as he entered Jack's office for the second time that week. He knew exactly why Jack wanted to see him, and it took all of his control to bite back his proud grin.

"Sit down" Jack ordered as he searched for something on his desk. Rafael internally rolled his eyes but did as he was told. Jack had a newspaper, just as Rafael had expected.

"Page five" He informed his boss with the slightest grin.

"How did you manage this? Did you pay her?"

If he hadn't thought that it was such a brilliant idea, Rafael would have been offended by the accusation.

"Surprisingly, no. I was walking home when she ran into me . I rode in the ambulance with her and stayed to speak with her".

"I know, that's what the article says" Jack said, not fully believing it.

"What the article didn't say was that I'm paying for her surgery. I was actually planning to see her during lunch, so if we're all done here?"

"Um yes… go see her" Jack stammered as Rafael left the office. Angelica was already in the car waiting for him.

"Did you get the flowers?" Rafael asked.

"They'll be delivered at three".

"Are you kidding? I wanted to give them to her in person" Rafael complained. "I need to show her that I care or whatever".

"Well we can stop and get some on the way and I'll cancel the ones for later" Angelica offered, hoping that would solve the problem.

"No, we'll stop on the way and have them delivered".

"If you insist, sir. Why are you even doing this? You don't even know her! Why do you care?"

"I don't! I just need her to make me look good! Did you read the paper this morning?"

"Of course I did. You did a good job, but what is the rest of this going to do for you? Are you going to call the press every time you do something that makes you a decent human being?" Angelica snapped. It wasn't the first time she had stepped out of line with Rafael, but it certainly wouldn't be the last. No matter how frustrated she got with him, Rafael wouldn't fire her. Never in a million years did she think that he would admit it, but he needed her to survive.

"Of course not" He reassured. "I'm simply using her vulnerability to my advantage. She needs to trust me or the whole plan is ruined".

"Plan? What plan?" Angelica pressed.

"You'll see".

After making sure the receptionist knew exactly who he was, Rafael and Angelica were led to 's room. The woman looked a little rougher than when he left her yesterday. Her whole right arm was in a cast and her hair was pushed to the other side. He could see the bags under her eyes even as she slept. A nurse had told them that she had come out of recovery about an hour ago and would probably sleep on and off throughout the day. The painkillers that they would give her once she awoke would keep her drowsy.

"Maybe we should come back later. She needs to rest" Angelica lightly suggested, knowing that she had to get back so that she could finish her duties.

"You go ahead, I'll take a cab back to work" Rafael said as he set the flowers on the bedside table, and pulled a chair up so that he could sit next to the bed.

"Are you sure?"

"Yup".

Once Angelica was gone, he allowed himself to examine the sleeping woman further. Her hair was down, and he could tell that her last haircut was over a year ago by the knots and split ends.

"Mmmm" She moaned in her sleep. A tiny smile formed on Rafael's face when she started to mumble something. Her eyes snapped open, and he could see the panic on her face.

" " Rafael said in a calm voice. "You're okay and in the hospital. Do you remember who I am?"

"I got surgery on my arm, not my brain" She groaned as she rubbed her eyes with her good hand.

"Why are you here?"

"You know, you are horrible at greeting people".

"And you're kind of a creep. Do you frequently show up in the hospital rooms of strangers?"

"I do when they're stubborn women who need help that I can give them" Rafael smirked.

That caught her attention. "What else can you do?" She timidly asked.

"You're going to need physical therapy, and somewhere to stay".

"Where are you going with this?"

"You are invited to stay with myself and my housekeeper, Angelica. You would have her for anything that you may need help with".

Olivia's mouth was wide open, stunned.

"You want me to live with you? Are you crazy? I don't know you, and you certainly don't know me!"

"I know that you don't have any priors, and that's all that mattered to me".

Olivia shook her head, grimacing in pain.

"Do you need me to get the nurse?" Rafael asked even though the answer was obvious.

"Please".

Rafael returned a few minutes later with a nurse in tow. She explained that the surgery hadn't been as smooth as they had expected it to be, so they already knew that Olivia would need another round of painkillers.

"I'll be back in a moment to give you an IV".

The nurse left and Olivia's color completely drained.

"Let me guess, you're afraid of needles?" Rafael asked as he took his seat once again.

"Maybe".

The nurse returned with all of the equipment and a pleasant smile. Rafael whispered into the nurse's ear, earning a nod. Next, he gently placed his hand on top of Olivia's.

"She's going to put it in your arm instead of you hand. Squeeze my hand when it hurts, okay?"

He wasn't sure why he was doing it, but there was something about this woman...He watched as her face scrunched up when she squeezed his hand softly. Thankfully, the nurse was able to get it right on the first try.

"See, that wasn't too bad" He consoled. It only took a moment for the nurse to get the IV going, promising that Olivia would be feeling better in no time. Rafael attempted to retract his hand, but Olivia gave it another squeeze.

"You said to squeeze when it hurts" She defended.

Rafael offered her a small smile, watching as the medication worked it's magic. Within fifteen minutes she was giggly.

"What's so funny?" Rafael asked.

"You're holding my hand" She giggled. As if that was her entire explanation. "I feel great" She sighed. "You should try this stuff. It might help you loosen up".

Rafael could only shake his head. "So, how does living with Angelica and I sound?" He asked, using her drugged state to get an idea of what she was thinking.

"Too good to be true".

"Well, it is true, and we'd love to have you".

"And I'd love to see your ass in a nice black pair of briefs" She admitted with a fit of giggles.

Rafael could feel the warmth on his cheeks, but he chose to ignore that little confession.

"Rafael, will you sign my cast?" Olivia asked as she closed her eyes, feeling the need to sleep.

"Maybe later" He said. "Angelica and I will be back to pick you up when you're discharged, okay?"

Olivia was fast asleep, making him roll his eyes. He left a few minutes later with a small smile on his face, wondering what the hell he was getting himself into.


End file.
